The European Research Council is funding a consortium consisting of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, ETH Zurich and TU Graz with a total of 10 million euros for developing new methods to determine the mechanical properties of living human tissue. TU Graz researcher Gerhard A. Holzapfel receives 4.

2 million euros. Changes in the mechanical properties of organs are the cause of numerous diseases, including diastolic heart failure (HFpEF), one of the leading causes of heart-related disease and mortality worldwide. However, it is not yet possible to determine the mechanical properties of soft tissue without surgical intervention.

An international research consortium from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and ETH Zurich wants to change this with a new type of in vivo tissue analysis. In the project MechVivo, the research team will develop experimental and AI-based methods that for the first time show in detail the relationship between transcriptomics, microstructure and mechanical properties of soft biological tissue. The overarching aim is to develop an imaging procedure for the non-invasive examination of tissue microstructure that improves disease diagnosis and therapy in everyday clinical practice.

The European Research Council is funding the six-year research project to the sum of 10 million euros, around 4.2 million of which will go to the Institute of Biomechanics at TU Graz. "TU Graz is proud of Gerhard A.

Holzapfel and his team and is deli.